The present invention relates to new acrylates carrying at least two functional groups chosen from the alcohol, aldehyde and ether functional groups, to a process for their manufacture and to the production of new polymers and copolymers from the said acrylates.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,743,669 discloses a process for the preparation of acrylic compounds of formula ##STR2## by reaction in a liquid phase at a temperature approximately from 0.degree. to 200.degree. C. of an .alpha.,.beta.-olefinically unsaturated carboxylic acid derivative of formula CH.sub.2 .dbd.CHY with an aldehyde of formula RCHO, Y being chosen from ##STR3## each of R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 denoting an alkyl (C.sub.1 -C.sub.12), cycloalkyl (C.sub.5 -C.sub.12), aryl, aralkyl or alkaryl, and R denoting alkyl (C.sub.1 -C.sub.8), alk-(C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)aryl, aralkyl (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4) or aryl, the said reaction being carried out in the presence of a catalytic quantity of a cyclic tertiary amine containing at least one nitrogen atom common to three rings. This reaction is very slow at room temperature. Thus, the reaction of 7.9 moles of acetaldehyde and 5.27 moles of ethyl acrylate at room temperature in the presence of 0.26 moles of diazabicyclo[2,2,2]-octane produces 93% of ethyl 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)acrylate only after 7 days. The same reaction carried out at 120.degree.-124.degree. C. takes place with a conversion of 82% at the end of 8 hours, but at the expense of selectivity. Furthermore, the Assignee Company has found that this reaction does not occur, even after 10 days, with some aldehydes whose carbonyl group is sterically hindered, such as trimethylacetaldehyde.
Bearing in mind the special behaviour which may be expected of acrylates containing a hydroxyl group in their structure, the Assignee Company has been concerned with obtaining new acrylates by functionalisation by means of dialdehydes.